Proximity-induced superconductivity in platinum metals

TL;DR

This study investigates how proximity-induced superconductivity affects diamagnetism in platinum metals when layered with a superconductor, revealing temperature-dependent screening and impurity effects.

Contribution

It demonstrates the proximity effect in platinum metals despite strong spin fluctuations and shows how magnetic impurities suppress this effect.

Findings

Screening distance increases with decreasing temperature.

Magnetic impurities drastically suppress the proximity effect.

Diamagnetism behavior aligns with expectations in comparison to copper.

Abstract

The diamagnetism of platinum metals (N: Rh, Pt, Pd), which is induced by the proximity effect of a superconductor (S: Nb), has been investigated for N-S double layers. Notwithstanding the strong spin fluctuation in platinum metals, the screening distance \rho in N increases with a decrease in temperature and reaches a value which is expected in comparison with \rho in Cu. When magnetic impurities are included in N, the proximity effect is drastically suppressed and the paramagnetism due to a giant moment is observed.